Perfect Chocolate Buttercream Frosting Recipe
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Chocolate buttercream frosting is an essential recipe. Rich, soft, creamy, and delicious, my recipe for chocolate buttercream is easy to make and simple to pipe and decorate for cakes, cupcakes, and other desserts. It is the best I’ve ever tasted and pairs perfectly with my favorite chocolate cake recipe.
Why I Love This Recipe
This recipe has a rich chocolate taste and a smooth and creamy texture. Made from just six simple ingredients, this buttercream frosting comes together quickly. This recipe yields enough to frost a three-layer cake or three dozen cupcakes beautifully. It stores well if I need to make it ahead.
Ingredients to Use & Why
You’ll need these ingredients to make this frosting.
- Butter – Use softened butter for the creamiest frosting. If you use butter that has not been properly softened, the butter will not mix appropriately with the other ingredients for the frosting.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder—The chocolate flavor in this frosting comes from the cocoa powder. You can use natural or Dutch-processed. You can also use raw cacao powder if you prefer. Cacao powder is pure cacao bean powder and is less processed than either natural or Dutch-processed. You may choose to use a bit less cacao powder, as it can have a richer taste.
- Confectioner’s sugar (also called powdered sugar and icing sugar) adds sweetness to the finished frosting. Since confectioner’s sugar is a fine-grain sugar, it combines easily with the other ingredients for the creamiest texture.
- Milk—Whole milk, heavy cream, or half-and-half have a higher fat content than reduced-fat milk. This adds creaminess and stability to the frosting. Make sure that the milk used is at room temperature. Cold milk can separate and cause the frosting to have a grainy texture.
- Vanilla extract—Use pure vanilla extract rather than vanilla flavoring for the best flavor. I love to use my homemade vanilla extract (such a simple recipe!).
- Espresso powder – While optional, I highly recommend adding espresso powder to chocolate recipes. Like vanilla extract brings out the flavor in sweet recipes, espresso powder further enhances the chocolate flavor in chocolate recipes. It is easy to make your own and is available in many grocery stores, cooking supply stores, or online.
How to Make Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting is incredibly easy to make and takes about 10 minutes from start to finish!
- Beat the cocoa powder and butter until creamy. Whisk through the cocoa powder in a large bowl to remove any lumps. Add the softened butter and cream together until well combined and creamy.
- Add the sugar and milk. Alternately mix in the confectioner’s sugar and the milk. After each addition, mix on HIGH speed for about a minute. This is a key step and makes the frosting fluffy and delicious!
- Add vanilla extract and espresso powder. Mix in the vanilla and espresso powder until well combined.
How to Tell When Buttercream Frosting is Done
Swipe a kitchen spoon back and forth through the buttercream frosting. It is ready if it is fluffy, creamy, smooth, and holds shape. If too dry? Add more milk, a tablespoon at a time, until it reaches the desired consistency. If too wet? Add more confectioner’s sugar, a tablespoon at a time, until the frosting holds its form.
Thankfully, this chocolate buttercream comes together quickly and makes plenty to frost a three-layer cake or three dozen cupcakes beautifully.
Storage Tips
Refrigerator: Place frosting in an airtight container. Refrigerate for up to 5 days. Once ready to use, remove from the refrigerator and allow to reach room temperature, then whisk well to fluff the frosting.
Freeze: Place frosting in an airtight, freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Once ready to use, place in refrigerator overnight to thaw, then remove from fridge for a short time prior to use as described previously and whisk to fluff the frosting.
Vanilla Cake with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
More Favorite Frosting Recipes
Strawberry Buttercream Frosting
Here’s my Perfect Chocolate Buttercream Frosting Recipe. I can’t wait to hear how you love it.
Perfect Chocolate Buttercream Frosting Recipe
Ingredients
- 1½ cups (339 g) butter, softened
- 1 cup (84 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 5 cups (567.5 g) confectioner’s sugar
- ½ cup (113.5 g) milk, whole, half and half, or heavy cream preferred
- 2 teaspoons (9 g) vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon (1 g) espresso powder
Instructions
- Add cocoa powder to a large bowl or bowl of stand mixer. Whisk through to remove any lumps.
- Cream together butter and cocoa powder until well-combined.
- Add confectioner's sugar to a large bowl. Whisk through to remove any lumps. Alternatively, you may sift the confectioner's sugar into the large bowl. Add the confectioner's sugar and milk to the cocoa mixture by adding 1 cup of confectioner's sugar followed by about a tablespoon of milk. After each addition has been combined, turn the mixer onto a high speed for about a minute. Repeat until all sugar and milk have been added.
- Add vanilla extract and espresso powder and combine well.
- If frosting appears too dry, add more milk, a tablespoon at a time until it reaches the right consistency. If it appears to wet and does not hold its form, add more confectioner’s sugar, a tablespoon at a time until it reaches the right consistency.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Enjoy!
Robyn xo
I have made variations of this for years, using varying amounts of these same ingredients. I am so glad to FINALLY have the perfect proportions laid out in this recipe!! Thanks, Robyn!!
So glad this recipe helped you, Catherine. Enjoy!
Hi! I’ve made this recipe twice now and absolutely love the taste!! However both of the times the buttercream has been a bit grainy. I’ve messed around with temperature and the mixing time (5-10 minutes usually) but they don’t seem to change anything. Do you know how/why this happens and what I can do to make it nice and fluffy like in your recipe? Thank you!!
Hi Micky,
First, make sure the cocoa and butter are mixed until creamy and there is no loose cocoa powder in the mixing bowl. If you have been adding 1 cup of confectioners sugar at a time, try adding only 1/2 cup at a time with a teaspoon of the milk and mix until they are mixed well. Then turn the mixer on the highest speed possible and mix until the mixture is fluffy. Repeat these steps until all the sugar and milk have been added. I hope this helps.
Hi Robyn,
Thank you!! I’ll be sure to try this next time I make it!
No worries Robyn, thanks for the reply! I’ll make up a batch this weekend for my father-in-law’s 80th birthday cake and will report back on how it turns out 🙂
Thanks again!
Hey Marcia, have you tried the frosting under fondant? This is what I plan to do soon. Thanks
Have you ever used this BC as a crumb coat and filling or dam between layers under fondant? Sounds delicious but just wondering if the consistency would be stiff enough under fondant. Thanks!
I’m sorry, Marcia, but I have not used this frosting under fondant. Maybe someone else on here has tried it and can help you. Thanks!
Can this be halved and still come out ok? I only have a dozen cupcakes to frost (they were leftover from a cupcake cake). I know some recipes get testy when you half or double them 😆 thanks!
Hi Kelly,
You should be able to halve this recipe with no problem. Enjoy!
Hi
Can i use cacao powder instead of cocoa powder?
I have not used cacao powder as a substitute, Janet. The cacao powder may not absorb as much liquid as the cocoa powder so you may have to make adjustments.
This was very tasty! FYI I cut out half the milk and replaced it with brewed coffee so you can still get the espresso taste (brings out chocolate flavor doesn’t taste like coffee) if you don’t have espresso powder on hand.
Thanks for the tip, Allie! Glad you liked the frosting!
How many cups of icing does this make roughly?
Hi, so I love your recipe, and am using it for my husband birthday cake. When it comes to the frosting, i ran out of unsweetened cocoa powder and where is curious if I could use unsweetened bars of chocolate rather than the unsweetened cocoa powder? If so, how many bars should I melt down? Thank you 🙂
I made this with heavy whipping cream, because I didn’t have any milk on hand and it was AMAZING!! I used it with a German Chocolate Cake that I was making. Unbelievably delicious. Thanks for the recipe!
This sounds delicious, Annie! I love German Chocolate cake. So glad you liked the frosting! xo
Hi, how much would you increase this recipe to frost a three layer cake?
Tresa,
This recipe actually makes enough to frost a 3 layer cake. Hope you enjoy!